Women's Weightlifting: China is spoiled for choice

(BEIJING, July 22) -- China has collected many Weightlifting gold medals in previous Olympic Games and hopes to fare well on home turf this August in Beijing.

China has done especially well in the 48 kilogram category with three world-class women lifters: Chen Xiexia, Yang Lian and Wang Mingjuan.

Chen rose to the elite international stage in the 2007 World Championship, clinching the victory in Snatch and Clean and Jerk, and consequently winning by a highest Total. She currently holds the world record for women's 48kg in the Clean and Jerk, having lifted 120 kg in April of last year.

Yang won the gold in the 2006 World Championship, setting the world record in her weight class for Snatch (98 kg) and Total (217 kg).

Wang swept the golds at the World Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2005, but was put out of commission for the Athens Games after a knee injury at sustained during the 2003 World Championships. She went to her first Asian Games and won the gold in Doha in 2006.

In the 58kg category, Yue Hongmei is no doubt one of the best bets for China to grab a gold at the Beijing Games. Yue clinched a victory in the 2006 World Championship and defended her title the following year.

Besides Yue, Athens champion Chen Yanqing might also be among the Olympic squad. After being crowned in Athens, the legendary Chen announced she was retiring , but soon after she resumed competing and secured a gold for China in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, breaking two world records on her way to the top of the podium.

Asian Games champion Liu Haixia would be China's best hope in the 63kg category. She broke the world record by lifting a Total of 257kg in the 2007 World Championship.

The backbone of China's potential 69kg competitors is Athens Olympic champion Liu Chunhong. After skipping the 2006 Asian Games in Doha with an injury, Liu came back to the top in the 2007 World Championship, winning gold in the Snatch and the Total.